Whalen signed a contract with the 49ers on Tuesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Whalen will look to compete for a reserved role in the receiving corp. The 27-year-old hasn't played in the league since 2012, when he racked up seven receptions for 53 yards in nine games with the Bengals.

Bengals WR Ryan Whalen led Cincinnati in Week 7 receiving with four catches for 31 yards. Andy Dalton only threw for 105 as the passing game was shut down, so slot receiver Whalen came out on top of a putrid corps. The Bengals have an upcoming bye in Week 8, and Whalen won't be worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Bengals WR Ryan Whalen (hamstring) returned to practice Monday. Whalen missed two weeks of practice, imperiling his roster spot. A sixth-round pick last season, Whalen caught four passes for 27 yards in four games. He'll likely have to light it up in Cincinnati's final two preseason games to get back on the coaching staff's radar.

Bengals WR Ryan Whalen has missed the past two weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury. The Bengals like Whalen's skill set as a backup receiver, but the team's website acknowledges that he's on the roster bubble. The top six wideouts right now are A.J. Green, Brandon Tate, Armon Binns, Andrew Hawkins, Mohamed Sanu, and Marvin Jones. They seem unlikely to carry seven receivers on the final 53.

The Cincinnati Enquirer believes Bengals WR Ryan Whalen is on the roster bubble. It should go without saying after the 2011 sixth-rounder caught just four passes in four games as a rookie. Barring an exceptionally strong training camp, Whalen is likely gone.